ped; the
distance was too short, the aim too sure, the charge of _mitraille_ too
close and heavy.

[Illustration]

A flying shot at a flock of eider duck added a male, with snowy crest,
and three plump, brown females; and a successful approach to a small
flock of brent made up fifteen birds under the half-deck of the little
craft. It was almost dark when, with little time to spare, La Salle came
flying through the fast-coming ice, and dashed across the narrow lane of
water, between the immovable covering of the bar, and the advancing,
tide-borne ice-islands.

The boys had just drawn in their decoys, and loaded their sled with the
birds taken from the boat, besides three geese and a brent, which they
had shot during his absence. The other boats had already landed, and
been drawn in far up on the ice. Regnar did not know if the centre-wheel
had got anything, but Davies and Creamer had four geese, five brent, and
a black duck. Peter had gone home with a sled-load of fowl, and, in
short, the day had been generally satisfactory all round.

That night, however, all were tired, wet, and half blind with the
ceaseless glare of the each-day-warmer sun; nor did any care to spend in
listening to idle tales, the hours which might better be given to sleep.
Such, for more than a week longer, was their experience, varied only by
a few brief frosts, during which, however, the hot coffee made in their
lantern-stove was unanimously voted "just the thing."

"Snow-blindness" set in, and Ben had once or twice to leave the ice;
while George Waring experienced several attacks, and had a linen cloth
full of pulverized clay--the best application known--kept in the boat
for emergencies.

By the middle of the next week, a narrow channel had opened up to the
city; and Creamer and Davies, piling their decoys beside their deserted
box, and leaving Lund to haul them to the shelter of his woods, took the
first flood, and paddled briskly homeward, leaving Indian Peter and La
Salle in the latter's stand; while Regnar, who had become a proficient
with the small boat, struck out for the broken ice lying to the east.

"Good by, Charley; when shall I tell them to expect you?" said Ben, as
he started his wheels, and the boat, heavily laden with fowl, moved
northward.

"O, at the end of the week, at farthest. Much obliged to you for taking
those birds. I'll have a load Saturday. Good by."

"Good by," said Hughie and Ben, once more; and then they ben